To Live a Lie

So yeah, we've got a spanking new review from the stalwart of grindademics, 206, the return of Axel with a brutaler than thou review and me, with a useless post.

I looked into Insidious Torture's Lust and Decay but I couldn't see the point in reviewing it as it's decent brutal deathmetal that is more grinding than churning; but nothing worthy of a review. Instead I'm turning back to a gem of 2007, In Disgust's Reality Choke.

Only putting out a comp of all their material in 2009, In Disgust have been slacking. Hopefully the Sharks's(my western conference fav and pick for the cup) success will goad them to releasing something soon. They have 5 releases pending, one of which is a split with PLF, which should be awesome.

Reality Choke itself, is 15 songs clocking in just over 11minutes of low gurgles, ear-piercing shrieks, thick guitars, and relentless blasting. Treading a fine line between power-violence and death metal, In Disgust implore excellent build ups that pay off in beautiful furies of blast beats and endless shrieks. Similar to Insect Warfare in song writing and riffs, In Disgust carry a more heavy and urban vibe, relying heavily on shifts in rhythm to really bludgeon you.

Pacing, riffs, moments of feedback and no remorse make Reality Choke one of my favorite "fast" eps, and by that I mean anytime I want something with energy, animosity, or anger I turn to Reality Choke. "Cali Smile" is a brutal build up of a song that pays off in "Shoulda Known," a furious, fast track.

If there was ever a recording to listen to whilst walking up and down the street smashing everything and everyone with a sledge hammer it'd be Reality Choke. The cover says it all, life is fucking filthy.

Band's Site
Reality Choke

Oh, and a bonus while I'm talking about bands that thrive off my inner tough guy and seething anger, here's a little diddy from Weekend Nachos who have a song off their upcomming ep on their myspace. The new track's okay, much slower and more mosh oriented. I don't know what John's really saying, if it's a joke, or if it's real or whatever, but i find it amusing.





-F

Comp Crazy Finale - This Comp Kills Fascists

Fascist Killers Space
Release: 2008
Type: CD/LP /7-7" Boxset
Label: Relapse / Deep Six

Timeless. Instant Classic. Oldie But Goodie. Terms of endearment proof positive not that the collective output of the music industry is a pile of coal stacked higher that Mt Everest - which it is - but that the footfalls of scouring music fans creates just enough pressure to form gems worthy of us scratching the surface for. And there is also a fourth, equally important category which happens to be the subject of this review: Iconic.

Just think about the number of bands who went from relatively unknown to releasing an acclaimed album within a year of this comp. Without looking at the track list we know Maruta signed with Willowtip and released In Narcosis. Weekend Nachos, then a powerviolence act, signed with the mighty Relapse and released the hardcore masterpiece Unforgivable. Spoonful Of Vicodin went from virtual obscurity to releasing their back catalog, a new album, and if that was not enough, found themselves touring Europe - and along the way sharing a few stages with Insect Warfare on their farewell tour. And of course ASRA, who went on to release the punishing The Way Of All Flesh before calling it a day.

And the goodness runs deeper. Grind godfathers Brutal Truth used the comp as a catalyst for their comeback album. Kill The Client, Insect Warfare and Magrudergrind make an appearance. It's essentially the Who's-Who of Extreme Metal Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, on one CD assembled by probably the only man with enough clout in the industry to pull it off: our favorite Defense Contractor, Scott Hull. Rarely has one comp served as a springboard for so many bands to launch themselves squarely into the extreme metal mainstream. But that can be said another way: rarely are so many quality bands available with new material when the right producer comes knocking. It was the perfect storm, and as luck would have it, we the fans are able to reap all the rewards on this iconic CD. Cheers, Mr. Hull. I appreciate you.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. Listen at your leisure. Own this fascist killing comp today. The packaging is top-notch: each band gets their own page on the inlay card - and the CD itself features George Bush sucking a dick swastika. And vinyl? Worth every penny, plus shipping. Cheers.

Hatred Surge- Deconstruct

Myspace
Label: Rescued From Life Records
Release Type: LP, CD
Released:2009
Genre:Power Violence

Honestly I don't know how we at CJ skipped this one, I mean Hatred Surge is just as big of a house hold name as Insect Warfare or any of these other U.S. grinders, blasters, violencers, or whatever you wanna call them. Frankly I feel silly. Here we see Hatred Surge deliverer the goods with their first full length, although in all honesty it feels a lot like an EP or MLP, but whatever I Like Hatred Surge enough to not give a damn.

For those of you out of the loop Hatred Surge incorperate a thick and super heavy guitar/bass attack, thudding drums and some awesomely voracious vocals. The duo of voices that is Mr. Alex Hughes and Ms. Faiza Kracheni, absolutely rip; of course I'm a sucker for female vocals like these paired with power violence and the like, but still; dope. What they deliever are powerful and memorable music that's completely unforgiving. The thick plucky bass and shouted vocals in gang fashion that show up around end the record carry that old punk vibe perfectly and act as an appropriate closer. The vocal delivery is one of Hatred Surge's best assests, from all the stuff I've heard by them (Insect Warfare split, Endless Blockade split, S/T ep) the vocals always stand out and have me shouting away and kicking all kinds of things across the room, it's no different here.

Whilst kicking shit around in my room, the "surge" (too good a word to describe the band) from song to song is flawless. Punky sections to out of the blue blast beats, to dismal sections of feedback and pounding drums Hatred Surge are a seamless act. They encapsulate flow so well, each song leads to another perfectly and the rhythmic shifts promise for a satisfying live show. The combination of a sludgy guitar tone, as well as stylings of the aforementioned genre works so perfectly (see the first track) in comparison with the ultra stupid as fuck fast blasting.

Hatred Surge does the scene proud with another reliable and highly enjoyable release. They're still kickin' the same kinda vibe they've been doing for a bit (although I see some Mind Eraser seeping in more obviously) but this is their first full length and I can hardly blame them for that.
Blast this loud, blast this proud, put the thing on repeat and spazz out for as long as you can.

Take a gander here, buy here.


On a completely unrelated note I haven't been able to stop watching this video. I'm an instant fan after seeing this. Check their myspace, the banter between them and Graf Orlock is hilarious.





-F

Weekend Nachos- Unforgivable

Site: Myspace
Release: 2009
Type: Cd, Lp, Full Length
Label: Relapse
Genre: Power Violence/ Hardcore

From my experiences power violence can be a fickle genre. Many of the big names of the genre encompass completely different attitudes, sounds, and styles and yet still fly under the banner of a pretty specific genre. Bands like Charles Bronson and Hatred Surge are labeled as power violence, yet showcase two completely different styles, the former being quite humorous and heavily flirting with lighter fair like skate punk and what have you where the latter delves in to the more extreme and punishing metal side of power violence. Regardless of the specifics there's the key traits of energy, passion, and disdain to some degree or another; and it is with the later of the three that Weekend Nachos finds themselves.

With a name more akin to those of bands who like to exploit the humor in their music and carry a party atmosphere, Weekend Nachos drastically deviate when their sound comes into comparison with those said bands. Originally off put by their name, i was completely flabbergasted when i heard some of the most poignant/vehement hardcore i've ever heard. What really attracted me to Weekend Nachos' sound is their emphasis on the violence in power violence.

Drifting away from the thin and punky sound of many hardcore/pv acts, Weekend Nachos employs a very bottom heavy sound (nothing like MITB) but more like a metal band, or one of those horrid xXthugcoreXx bands. This immediately caught my attention and made me motivated to thrash through this short LP. Showing a great apperciation for sludge, Weekend Nachos masterfully pulls off many breakdowns which heighten the energy so much on this LP and really encapsulate the violence and misanthropy they're trying to evoke. The slower sections on this album are all my favorites.

2009 starts the album off with some gloomy sample and delves headlong straight into the hardcore frenzy only to slow back down in Elevated Tracks which evokes a dark and brooding atmosphere with some kind of sample in the back; this is one of the highlights of the album. The fluidity of the album is phenomenal; the band segways from thrashing d-beats and power chords to lighting fast blast sections to midpaced stomps and quarter note breakdowns. The energy and flow is perfect and never lets up.

If you like your music dark, violent, and angry then Weekend Nachos is for you, resembling an Eyehategod of sorts for power violence, Weekend Nachos' keep the staples of the genre and blend in personal influences and a sense of misanthropy above all. More tough than any Hatebreed clone, Weekend Nachos stray far from their silly name and evoke a sense of dismal violence that one would assume to be plenty painful live.

While the production job doesn't sound DIY, a seemingly large staple of the pv community, it works in spades. It's heavy, unrelenting and completely obliterating. The vocals are deep and angry bellows offset by the occasional higher pitch yells. Along with the tone, many of the lyrics come through as sing along beatdown choruses which are evisceratingly brutal. The mosh parts in Shot in the Head and Reason to Die rank amongst the best that the album has to offer.

While I can't comment on previous works I can say that this album has made me a definite fan. Surely to be a favorite of the year for me, Unforgivable showcases a level of misanthropy I've been unable to find in power violence, and it makes me happy.

Buy the cd here for cheap (as well a t-shirt/cd combo) or buy vinyl, as well as other releases here.